If you are shopping around for a good charcoal grill you may want to consider the Weber Performer charcoal grill with gas igniter. This grill is perfect for anyone who hates using lighter fluid and waiting around a half hour or longer for the coals to get ready so you can finally throw that steak on. I am a fan of charcoal grilling but have always hated waiting for the charcoal to catch, especially when I had just gotten home from work and was hungry. The good thing about this grill is that you don't have to wait that long before it is ready to go thanks to that gas ignition system.
Weber did a nice job designing this grill and made sure to use those little propane canisters that you find at your local hardware store for fuel. You also have the option of connecting it to a larger 20 pound gas tank, although I would imagine that a full tank would last you a couple of years because this grill does not use much gas at all. Since it only uses enough gas to get the coals lit, I would think it would last quite a while before you would need to refill it.
I like this grill not only for the gas ignition, but also for the large working surface that Weber provides. I think that it is a great feature of this grill because you will never have to worry about finding a place to put that giant plate of ribs again. It always sucks having to hunt for a place to put things when you are in the middle of grilling up something, so this table is a big help.
Under the table you will finds a bin for your charcoal that Weber claims will keep your charcoal nice and dry for you. I do not know if I would keep my charcoal outside with my grill because I would think that moisture would get into it, however it is useful if you are out grilling for the day and need a place to put your charcoal so you can easily add more to your grill. If you want to add more the hinged grill grate makes it easy and lets you add more charcoal without disturbing what you have grilling.
Although the grill grate is made out of steel similar to the ones found on the Weber one touch grills, the Weber performer I think should use a cast iron grate. Maybe it's just me but I love cooking over cast iron so that is something that I wish they had addressed. In any case, the grate that comes with this grill works well and does the job properly so I really cannot complain.
So if you are looking at getting the Weber Performer charcoal grill with gas igniter, you should keep the above points in mind. It is a little more expensive then some of the other charcoal grills out there today, but then again you would have to sit there with a blow torch to get the same effect as you would with the Weber Performer grill. All in all I think that this grill is great for anyone who loves cooking over charcoal, but hates waiting around for the coals to get up to temp before they start cooking.
